Length: 239 page
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Brahma Dreaming is John Jackson’s version of the stories of the three great Gods of Hinduism – Brahma (The Creator), Vishnu (The Preserver), and Shive (The Destroyer). Accompanied by illustrations by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini, the book takes the readers across the many stories of Hinduism that represent the continuous forces of creation, preservation, and destruction.
The Bottom Line:
A charming read that introduces readers to Hinduism and the many epics that are its building blocks.
My take:
Brahma Dreaming can be considered an introduction to Hindu mythology. The subject is very vast and covered in parts by numerous books. Brahma Dreaming brings all of them together to share a brief look at the epics of Hinduism.
The book is extremely charming, especially the first chapter. It is written in a simple, straightforward, yet soft manner. Each chapter tells a different story in a continuing arc, and chapters are often interconnected. The illustrations are really good and really add to the book and the reading experience.
In essence, Brahma Dreaming is like the teaser of stories on which Hinduism has been built. It’s that brief a glimpse into the vastness of those stories. It gives a good introduction to the more well-known entities and tales on which a lot of Hindu children have grown up. But it doesn’t really delve into the lessons and morals that those epics are meant to showcase.
Personally, I’ve not read the detailed versions of those stories. I’ve read some abridged versions, and heard more through general discussion. So, I already knew a bit of the stories in Brahma Dreaming; but quite a bit was new and interesting too. Even in the cases where the stories differed from those that I knew in certain aspects, the retelling was intriguing.
Whether you’re absolutely new to the stories, or whether you’ve heard of them before, Brahma Dreaming (with its charming style and beautiful illustrations) evokes enough interest to make you want to explore the subject further.
I’d recommend Brahma Dreaming to:
- people who enjoy reading mythology
- those who want to know more about Hindu mythology
- anyone who enjoys a bit of fantasy
Share your thoughts on Brahma Dreaming, or any related recommendations you may have, in the comments section below!
– Rishika
The Book Review Station 